Time and again, witnesses depicted him as an oppressor who always had the last word, a controlling supervisor who threw around city money to manipulate people.

A defense attorney dubbed him "the destructor of the city" while those on trial condemned him as the man who led them down the rabbit's hole, duping them into believing they were allowed to take home huge paychecks as part-time politicians in a small, working-class town.

It may be months before Robert Rizzo actually takes a seat at the defendants' table to face corruption charges. Yet, in many ways, the former Bell city manager is already on trial.

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